Tag: Bayelsa residents

Residents of Peramabiri in Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa State have raised the alarm over an alleged stockpiling of arms in their community by a dreaded ex-militant leader (name withheld).

The residents, under the auspices of Peremabiri Development Association on Monday challenged the ex-militant leader to come out of hiding.

The PDA also berated the opposition party in Bayelsa for allegedly playing politics with the internal crisis in Peramabiri community.

The PDA in a statement by its President, Chief Awolowo Wasiri; Secretary, Chief Profit Enoch; and Publicity Secretary, Alfred Ikiomoye Olotu, reacted to the alleged falsehood by the ex-militant leader.

The group said using propaganda to distract the real issues would not save him from the long arm of the law.

The PDA described as lies claims by the ex-militant that his mother’s house and other property of his relatives were destroyed during the recent military exercise in Peremabiri, adding that the rice farm he was laying claim to belonged to the Federal Government.

While absolving the Bayelsa State Government of any blame in the military cleansing of their community, the PDA appealed to the Federal Government to go after the ex-militant leader and his gang as they had become ‘cancer’ to them.

The group said despite accepting the Federal Government’s amnesty programme, the ex-warlord “still had a large cache of arms,” adding that until he was brought to justice, indigenes of Peremabiri community would still be living in fear.

The PDA said, “We have heard the lies and total falsehood of the ex-militant in the mass media. We make bold to say that what he is battling with now is about moral conscience.

“He does not own the rice farm in Peremabiri, that is a Federal Government project.

“He said he is a retired ‘General’, so let him go and sign the bail bond of those who are standing trial since the court said one of those to guarantee their bails should be a retired General. The Federal Government should not relent until he and his likes are completely flushed out.”

On the allegation that the paramount ruler, Chief Progress Never-Die, is not an indigene of Peremabiri, the PDA wondered why the ex-militant and his cohorts were coming up with the argument after he had previously served as a youth leader and the CDC chairman.

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Punch Games

Following the outbreak of monkey pox in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, residents are now avoiding handshakes and hugs in the public.

This is as the state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu, said that 13 persons had so far been infected with the virus.

However, out of the number, Etebu on Friday said that two of the affected persons, a medical doctor and an 11-year-old boy, had been successfully treated and discharged from the quarantine centre of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri.

Nevertheless, residents have started avoiding handshakes and bodily contact after Etebu advised members of the public to wash hands frequently and maintain higher levels of personal hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease.

Some persons who spoke on the sidelines of Thursday’s World Teachers’ Day celebration in Yenagoa, said their actions were justified due to the fear of contracting the disease.

Messages have also been circulating on the social media, urging people to abstain from shaking hands.

A resident, who gave his name simply as Preye, said, “This issue of avoiding handshakes reminds one of the days of Ebola, which compelled everyone to be conscious of personal hygiene.

“The Ebola outbreak has taught us a lesson. It’s sad we’re avoiding one another like plague, but what can we do? I don’t want to endanger myself by shaking hands with someone who probably did not wash their hands.”

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Government has inaugurated a 12-member rapid response team, comprising of top medical professionals, to prevent the spread of monkeypox.

Besides the 12 members who make up the core team, other sub-teams to carry out contact tracing of patients have also been inaugurated.

Etebu, who inaugurated the committee, reassured the citizens that there was no need to panic.

He also said that over 50 persons were being actively monitored at different places in the state.

He stressed that the situation was not beyond control but urged residents to always wash their hands.

Etebu said, “Active disease surveillance has also been carried out. Case management and other sundry measures have also been carried out in a bid to halt the spread of the disease in the state.”

How disease is transmitted

The commissioner said the disease is transmitted when a person comes in contact with the monkeypox virus from animals or materials that are contaminated with the virus, noting that the virus gets into the body through broken skin that is usually not visible.

He also said the virus could enter the body through respiratory tract or the mucus membrane in the eyes, nose and mouth.

He said animal to human transmission could occur if a man is bitten by a wild animal or if he comes in direct contact with body fluids from monkeypox patient.

Etebu said, ‘’So, the simple information we have been propagating is that if you maintain simple hygiene by washing your hands when you touch animals, whether dead or alive, and when you go to toilet and so on, it will help prevent spread of this virus.”

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has dismissed reports that the state has a record of monkeypox.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Princewill Chike, however, said that the state government had taken proactive and preventive measures to ensure that the disease does not find its way into the state.

Chike also called on the people of the state to maintain sound personal hygiene.

He urged the citizens to report all cases of unusual rash to medical facilities for necessary action.

Iworiso-Markson urged the public to call two dedicated lines – 08066987752 and 08035474676 – to report cases of the suspected virus, saying that his ministry would produce jingles in local dialect and English to sensitise the people to the scourge.

The Chief Medical Director, NDUTH, where 11 cases of the virus were being handled, Prof. Dimie Ogoina, said that a doctor who was infected and an 11-year-old had been treated and discharged.

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Punch Games

Some aggrieved residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, have clashed with the authorities of the Port Harcourt Distribution Company over what they described as 100 per cent increase in electricity tariff.

The residents, therefore, threatened to shut down activities of the PHED in the state, particularly, the Yenagoa metropolis, until the electricity company rescinded their decision.

The distraught residents, led by members of Bayelsa State Association of Bulk-Bill Electricity Consumers, had on Thursday, taken to the streets of Yenagoa to ventilate their grievances over the development.

They claimed that the PHED had hiked electricity tariff by about 100 per cent, a development which made the protesters to issue the company a 24-hour ultimatum to reverse the trend.

The State Chairman, ABEC, Mr. Ebi Ozegbe, claimed that before now, each transformer was paying between N100,000 and N200,000 respectively depending on the population of the areas, but were now being forced to pay N400,000 per a transformer.

Ozegbe said neither members of the association nor the general public were informed or called to a roundtable dialogue before the increment amid hardship occasioned by the recession.

He said, “This increment is unacceptable; it is another ploy by the PHED and AETL to further defraud and impoverish our people who are grappling with the harsh effects of the recession as salaries are not regularly paid to workers.

“We give them until 24 hours to reverse the increase or else, we will mobilise the people and shut down Yenagoa.”

Ozegbe further lamented that without pre-information, the firm went ahead to shut down power supply in several communities despite the full payment for the month of August.

He added that when power supply was very poor, consumers were being forced to pay their bills without complaining, wondering the sudden increment after a few weeks of slight improvement.

When contacted, the Business Manager, PHED, Yenagoa office, Moses Achi, said the protesters only painted a false picture to whip up public sentiments.

He noted that power supply had of recent improved in the state, saying that since the consumers were enjoying more supply, they had to pay more.

Achi stated, ‘’That is not true. They just painted a false picture. One thing you have to understand about customers is that you deal with them with caution. They may paint a picture to get people’s sympathy. However, customer is king, we treat them with all attention to satisfy them.

‘’Nobody bills a bulk bill N100,000 to N200,000.Those people protesting should show their previous bills. After that, ask them for their current bills. Then, find out why the current bill has increased.

‘’You should know across town that from the first week of July till date, the supply in town has been better and incredibly sweeter than it used to be. Have you seen the incredible increase in supply that is unprecedented? If you agree that there is improvement, the question now is, something used to be two hours and now it is four hours, can somebody pay more?

‘’If I was giving you two hours before and I am now giving you four hours, you must pay more. The improvement has to increase the cost incurred. Remember, energy is not airborne, it is costly to get energy, so the energy dispensed is based on the collection from the users. More energy will engender more cost.’’

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